Method of heat treating bits



June 17, 1930. F. J. HINDERLITER METHOD OF HEAT TREATING- BITS Original Filed Feb. 25, 1927 5' i'= 22 v i e s .1 L I j 10 1 I Z'HVQFYZEF: Jrank zf/ll'rzderlii'ezt Patented June 17, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICE FRANK J. EINDERLITEB, OF TULSA, OKLAHOMA METHOD OF HEAT TREATING IBITS Original application filed February 23, 1927, Serial No. 170,187. Divided and this application fled Iaroh 21, 1929. Serial 80. 348,696.

-My present invention relates to the heat treating of tools, and more particularly to a method of heat treating the nose end of a bit or the like.

" This application is a divisional one taken from my United States Letters Patent No. 1,176,695 issued June 11, 1929.

In the forging of bits for use in connection with drilling oil wells and the like consider- 1o able trouble has been experienced due to the fact that a great many bits are broken or rendered unfit for use, due to the fact that the vflame enters a forge in such a way that it is permitted to circle over the cutting edge of a bit and heats the blade back of said cutting edge directly in the water course. Moreover, the web of the bit being thin is adapted to absorb the heat quicker than the heavy sections thereby causing the web to expand prior to the expansion of the heavy sections, thereby usually causing the bit to burst or crack in lengths usually from three to six inches in a diagonal direction. Thecrackdoesnot always run out to the cutting edge due to the temper of said edge so that the defect is not observed until after the bit has been in use and breaks.

As a result of the above procedure the bits are not evenly heated and are furthermore not properly treated or tempered after being heated which accounts for a large proportion of the bits breaking when put into use.

The method of my invention may be practiced by an improved bit forge so constructed that a bit is adapted to be evenly heated by swirling blast flames entering the fire chamber without coming into direct contact with the bit or steel being heated, thereby permitting the steel to be tempered at a rising heat after which the bit is permitted to lay on an anvil after dressing until a hand can be laid on the same. The bit may then be placed back in the forge and given a short heat on the end of the bit untilthe bit is brought up to a dark cherry red color after which the bit It is an object of the invention to provide an improved method of heat treating bits so that a bit may be evenly heated at its drilling.

'tia ly true ring of fire and inserting the nose is removed and then put in a clean slack tub.

prior to the heating of the thin web formed etween the water courses of the bit.

It is another object of the invention to provide a method-of heating the nose end'of a bit which consists in the forming of a substant ally true ring of flame about the end of the b1t to be treated which ring is disposed concentric with the tool but at all times out of contact with the tool so that the tool may be uniformly heated without cracking. Still another object of the invention resides in the provision of a method of heat treating the nose end of a bit which consists in formm a plurality of jets of flame into a substan- I I O I end of the bit in the center of this ring but out of contact with the flame at all times.

A further object of m invention is to provide a method for heating the end of a tool which consists in whirling a ring of flame about the tool but out of contact therewith and creating a pocket of fire adjacent to and in llne with the end of the tool for augmentin the heating of the end of the same.

t is thought that the method of my invention may be fully understood from a description of a bit forge by which the method may be racticed.

ther and further important objects of this invention will be apparent from the disclosures in the specification and the accompanying drawings.

This invention (in a preferred form) is illustrated in the drawlngs and hereinafter more fully described.

On the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of an improved forge embodying the principles of this invention and showing a fra entary portion of a b1t projecting into the orge.

Figure 2 is an enlarged transverse section of the upper portion of the forge taken on line IIII of Figure 1 with parts shown in elevation.

Figure 3 is a horizontal section taken on line IIIIII of Figure 2 with a fragmentary portion of a bit shown in elevation.

As shown on the drawings:

The reference numeral 1 indicates a supporting framework or stand supported by 100 rollers or casters 2 to permit the forge to be readily moved about. Supported on the frame 1 is an outer sheet metal casing 3 of cylindrical form open at the front end and provided. with a rear wall 4 having a central openin at 5. The opening 5 is closed by means 0 a metal ring plate 6 ends. closure plate ordisk 7 which is secured to the ring plate 6 to close the opening therein. The casing 3 is provided with a linin constructed of standard fire bricks made 0 used silicon carbide, carborundum, or any other suitable refractory material. The refractory bricks are arranged in a redetermined order to provide an outer lining or shell 8 consisting of three adjacently disposed rings or layers of bricks which form an outer llning which extends from the front to the rear of the outer casing 3. Mounted within the outer lining 8 is a rear wall or rear lining comprisingtwo concentric annular rows or layers of fire bricks 9 and 10 which contact against the inner face of the rear casing wall 4 and project forwardly to overlap the intermediate annular row or layer of fire bricks forming part of the outer fire brick lining 8. The inner periphery of the annular row of fire bricks 10 registers with the periphery of the opening 5 within the rear casing wall 4, thereby affording a rear pocket or recess 11 closed at one end by the overlapping metal plates 6 and 7 and having the other end thereof communicating with the middle portion of a fire or main chamber 12 formed by the middle annular row of fire bricks of the outer lining 8 and the rear lining wall 9-10, together with a front liningwall 13 constructed of standard refractory fire bricks of but a single row or layer positioned within the front portion of the outer lining 8 and extending rearwardly a distance sufiicient to overlap a portion of the intermediate annular row of fire bricks forming part of the outer lining 8. The front lining wall 13 being of annular construction affords an entrance opening 14, the inner end of which communicates with the main fire chamber 12. The entrance opening 14 has a greater diameter than the diameter of the rear pocket 11 and is axially aligned therewith. The complete lining of the forge consisting of the annular rows or layers of fire brick 8, 9, 10, and 13 thus affords three communicating chambers with the main fire chamber 12 having the greatest diameter and being positioned between the pocket 11 and the entrance opening 14.

Fuel is supplied to the forge by means of a main fuel supply pipe 15 adapted to be connected with any suitable source of oil or gas fuel. The end of the main fuel pipe 15 terminates in a branch fuel supply pipe 16 which projectsthrough a suitable opening in the outer casing 3 and the middle row of fire bricks forming the middle part of the memos outer lining 8. The lower auxiliary fuel supply pipe 16 has the mouth thereof terminating in the main fire chamber 12 in such a position that a blast of fuel flames is adapted to be directed tangentially into the lower ortion of the main fuel chamber 12. The

ames entering from the lower auxiliary fuel supply pi e 16 im inge against the circular wal of t e cham or 12 which causes the flames to whirl around the outer peripheral portion of the chamber 12 to commmgle with a similar flame tangentially entering the u per portion of the chamber 12 through t e mouth of a second or upper auxiliary fuel supply pipe 17 which projects into the upper portion of the forge and has the outer end 18 thereof curved or bent around the exterior of the forge casing 3, with the lower end of said exterior pipe 18 connected with the main fuel supply 15 at a point adjacent the lower auxiliary fuel supply pipe 16, as clearly illustrated in Figure 2. -Mounted on the exterior of the front side of the forge supporting framework 1 is a bracket 19 supporting a table or shelf 20 having a rounded bead or guide flange 21 formed thereon to afford a guide and support for the drilling end of a bit or other tool which is to be tempered. As shown in the drawings the reference numeral 22 indicates a steel bit having a pair of oppositely disposed longitudinally directed grooves or water courses 23 formed therein, with said water courses terminating in the drilling end or nose 24 of the bit. The nose end of the bit is flared outwardly to a diameter greater than the diameter of the bit proper with the water courses forming a web 25. The bit is projected into the forge through the entrance opening 14 a distance sufficient to position the enlarged nose or drilling end of the bit in substantially the middle of the main fire chamber 12 and directly opposite the fire pocket 11, as illustrated in Figure 3. If desired, an upper guide similar to the guide member 21 may be provided secured to the upper front portion of the forge above the lower guide member 21.

It will be noted from the description that when the drilling end of a bit is positioned in the forge supported on the shelf 20 and the guide member 21 thereof that flames entering from the lower and upper fuel supply pipes 16 and 17 respectively, will follow the contour of the curved wall of the main fire chamber 12 and will consequently whirl around the nose portion of the bit without hitting directly on the steel. The nose portion of the bit is larger than the main portion of the bit and substantially thicker than the web 25. The fire pocket 11 assists the main chamber 12 to cause the nose to be heated prior to the heating up of the thin web portion 25. thereby causing an even heating of the different portions at the nose end of the tool obviating cracks and bursting of the 555 a tool which consists in forming a whirling ring metal at the drilling end of the tool Burst- I ing at the nose end of the tool occurs when a bit is heated in a manner to cause the thin web portion of the tool to be heated before the heavy sections of the tool are heated, resulting in the expansion of the thin portion of the tool prior to the expansion of the large sections of the tool, thereby causing the tool to crack and burst. These difiiculties are overcome in the present invention, as hereinbefore stated. To get the best results a steel bit should be'tempered at a rising heat and not at a falling heat. A bit to be tempered should lay on the anvil after dressing until a hand can be laid on the same. The bit should then be put back into the forge and the nose end should be given a short heating for a distance of about two inches on the tip of the bit until said nose portion reaches a dark cherry red color. The bit should now be removed and projected into a clean slack tub to cool the same without causin any appreciable amount of heat torun down the body portion of the bit to expand the same,

' so that the steel at the nose end of the tool 1 is not strained and consequently does not burst.

From the foregoing it will be evident that I have provided a method of heat treating the nose end of a tool such as a bit which consists in creating a plurality of diametrically opposite jets of flame, forming these ets of flame into a whirling ring of fire in which the jets serve to augment the action of each other and inserting the nose endof the bit or tool to be treated in the center of this ring of fire but out'of contact therewith. The additional step of creating a pocket of fire adj acent to and in line with the end of the tool or bit for augmenting the heating of the nose end prior to the heating up of the thin web ortion of the bit is a desirable step in or eature of my process since it results in an even heating of the diflerent portions at the nose end of the tool and thus minimizes the chances of cracks and the bursting of the metal at the drilling end of the tool.

Now it is of course to be understood that although I have illustrated and described in detail the preferred embodiment of my invention, still the invention is'not to be thus lim-- ited but only in so far as defined by the scope and spirit of. the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

different portions at said nose end scribed my treated but out of contact with the bit and creating a fire pocket adjacent the nose end of the bit so as .to enable the same to be heated prior to the web portion of the bit therebyv causing a substantially even heatin of the 0% the bit. 3. The method of heating the no se end of of, jets of flame into substantially a true whirling ring of fire and inserting the nose end of the bit in the center of said ring but Oklahoma.

- FRANK J. HINDERLITER.

1. The method of heat treating the end ofof flame about and concentric with the end of the tool to be treated and creating a pocket of fire adjacent to and'in line with the end of the tool for augmenting the heating a bit which consists in forming a plurality 

